This video is a game changer. Surfing instructional videos and coaching ‘wisdom’ often tells you to ride the upper 1/2 - 1/3 of the wave(‘where the energy is’), be looking down the line and pointing the nose of your board down the line as you paddle in - the so called ‘angled take off’. It’s frustrating advice, because when you try it, you often end up cutting across the wave, missing the waves energy and getting ‘bogged’ at the top and/or missing sections of the wave you could use. The analysis in this video has been a number of a real 💡 moments for me. I’ve been trying to work out how really good surfers get in with ease and surf top to bottom in small waves - now I know. Brilliant explanation. Thanks so much. This is true gold !! Stoked !!!
so, there are different types of small waves. These in the video are small and slower. Surfing top to bottom will help stay in the power zone. Small fast waves that you find in a lot of beach break/shore break will require you to pump hard through the top section of the wave to not get outrun by it
Really good lessons in this one. Nose pointing at the beach. Getting to the bottom of the wave, even in a small wave. Stay in the pocket. Stay on rail the whole time. Rail, rail, rail! Having said that Ant, don’t be too hard on yourself. You are MUCH bigger and heavier than Yani, so there are some sheer biomechanical advantages at play too, that magnify in small surf. Great lesson guys! Having Ant makes it real for us weekend warriors! Keep it up!
I admire you, Ant, putting yourself out there. When I'm faced with an incoming wave, I have the same ambitions as you (though your technique is way better): sweet take-off, get the wave! while Clayton wants us to make the most of the wave, listen to it, shed the tension and get with the wave, rather than just get on it. Looks to me like you're so ready to switch your mind away from your technique and the stress of 'gotta make this one!' and to dial into the ocean. You could probably just do that in your next session and have a really good experience. Thanks for the learnings guys.
I have watched this video many times along with others in this channel lol, but now i realize that also a good reason why Yani Is lighter on his feet is because he IS a lighter man, what half of your weight? Lol and so the relation wave power and weight of the rider remains constant, no matter the skill level. A groom can shred waves that a heavy adult cannot, is the adult less skilled, not necessarily, it's just the Ocean that doesn't allow it and one must vow to that, in surfing the surfer, I think, is not in control of the conditions, only of his body and board. Just a thought. Thanks for this great video!
Thanks gents, my takeaway is the board pointing to the beach. Makes me think of the skate bowl and the idea that if I go down the bowl the speed is on if I skate along it the sped needs to be manufactured. Hope this makes sense.
Use the wave to its potential. Wait for the Wave to Build UP & Don't Run Away. Nose to the beach. Where is the Bottom turn? Where is the Next Section? Do the Right Turn at the Right Time: No Over Cooking! Take it easy on yourself Ant it's just surfing you're doing great, I can see tons of improvement since the early videos :)
Best one yet lads ! I've always thought it was about the riders weight in gutless waves and excused myself for being heavier and bogging...Great to have some renewed focus and no more excuses !!
Great video which highlight most of our struggles (wave selection, body holding tension, racing across the wave, weight distribution), i think the take away from this is to have a top to bottom surfing mindset, anyway this is what i will start working on, it's clear that Yani has a ton of practice in small waves because he is so relaxed and confident and don't rush anything ... Anthony thank you for taking on this challenge, your are our best asset in the ombe training, thanks Clayton for all this :)
This is exactly what I needed, I have noticed when I am turning my head a little to see where the wave is it works better and I flow better. I think also are minds are in paddle battle mode even when no one else is going for it, and if another goes for it they’ll get it because you’re overly stressed. Rail to rail explanation was great and staying close to the power source. Thank you!
Completely disagree at the 9:20 mark.. the two points contradict each other, if he paddled straight and dropped down to the bottom the wave would've raced away and he would have lost his speed. In small waves you dont have time to set up, you HAVE to take off angled and use the top 3rd of the wave, then drop down into the flats once you have speed.
Yeah i was kind of thinking the same. I've always thought that small waves are faster so if you don't take off at an angle and race it a bit, you'll just get stuck behind
Watch any of the best surfers in small waves, like Dane Reynolds, and you will see him take off angled, pump to the top and drop down for speed. I've gotten my small wave surfing way better doing this
Very Helpful content, always watching your videos and learning. I identify myself 100% with Anthony,I agree on every detail about wave selection, paddling technicque, nose pointing the beach, but to be fair, I think the Seaside has better paddle power, is one of the best grovelers and Yani is a much lighter surfer than Anthony. Yani Surfs very good, he is really great, but the difference in weight and boards i think helps...
Amazing! Any tips on surfing soft windswell waves….these Gold Coast ‘small waves’ still look far better than the crap I deal with all winter on the UK south coast! Can you truly get ‘on rail’ on short period junk? Do Clay’s tips on board selection still hold up if waves are mainly messy?
Being able to read a wave is obviously key no matter its size, can we do a live on identifying/ reading waves (and parts of the wave) and applying the right technique for different situations?
On 6:52, it is also a matter of "feeling", I realize now, there are visual clues of course, but I can "feel" the wave under my board and prepare to harness the force of the wave becoming steeper as well as adjust my feet and my weight to the direction I need to go and all happens instinctively, which is what I love the most, in surfing I cannot over think things, before and after, yes, but in the moment I can only hope that all that I thought will transfer in the water and it does most of the time if I go in yhe water with "no mind". :)
Great vid! I know the pain so well. Groms flying about and I'm stuck in treacle. The whole mid face thing is something I'm guilty of too. I don't want to get stuck at the bottom of the wave and bog, so I end up pumping along mid face but never really get moving top to bottom with the board on rail. I guess my take away is to try and relax more, particularly on take off and really glide in rather than leaping to my feet at the earliest opportunity.
This was a great video and made me laugh! Ant...I feel your pain! 🤣I am about your age, have been surfing for over 20 years and still dont surf top to bottom. All your frustrations I feel too! haha! BUT...the OMBE videos have been absolutely invaluable and I am learning every time I watch one and then go surf. Thank you guys so much!
I’m also going out on a limb here and guessing you didn’t grow up surfing daily/weekly in the beautiful tropical waters of the UK!! These youngsters have the real early advantage of learning from a young age in pleasant conditions xxc
I kind of feel like Anthony is conflicted about the style he wants to surf. Not everything has to be hard cutbacks. Long graceful rides would satisfy as well.
Great video! Would be relevant to mention Yani and Anthony's body weight and the size of that Firewire Seaside. I am guessing Yani is quite a bit lighter and that Seaside looks very light and poppy for him in small waves, whereas at that volume its problably a little too small for Anthony.
Guys, another great video, thanks! I have an amazing suggestion for new content, pack me up from the UK to visit and teach me how to surf and use my needs as content for future videos! 👀 😉
What specifically should we look for in the wave while paddling? Judging how fast the lip will break + where we are in relation to the pocket, what else?
I found this video super helpful. Thanks for making it. And as others have said, thank you Anthony for your courage. I sympathize with your frustration. But I feel it is in these types of moments that we learn the most.
No one mentions that Anthony doesn’t have the balance to surf like Yanni yet. The relaxation comes from confidence too. Yanni’s connection to his board is superior because of this.
Hi there I know this might be a silly question but I have just started 🏄♂️ and have had a couple of lessons here in the cold UK. As a newbie I am only working on small waves. My question is where is the best place on the wave to Stand up on your board? I've just purchased a 9ft 3 osprey long board to help with confidence and technique. By the way love your tutorials thank you Michael Gibbs
OmG I would kill to be on this show!!! My backside snaps are glorious (Sent from God); but I still cant figure out the frontside snap. Frontside wraps are also becoming easier.
I believe nose to the beach is only to create speed coming out of a turn, or right from your pop up. Like Clayton says think of it like dropping in on a Skate ramp.
Really enjoyed video. I surf the same type of wave and also find I'm making the same mistakes. Currently surfing a NSP 7'6 and hoping to upgrade soon. What would people recommend? Egg, fish or something totally different? I'm 6'2.
This is a great video BUTTT…. Yani is way lighter. I would like to see a bulkier guy move like him on the same equipment. Not making excuses. Just as a weightlifter I feel like I belong on a long board working on my style on super small waves. Though I could always surf better and closer to Yani, I think there is a line that needs to be recognized with Physical stature and the type of surfing it lends itself to when the waves are small. Medium or big waves are open game. But guys who lift at the gym or have some Extra pounds will find it a very uphill battle learning to move like Yani. When I went from 175 to 155 from no longer lifting, surfing small waves seemed so freaking easier to me. Back at 165 and it’s way harder.
SMALL WAVES ARE A PAIN IN THE ASS ' CAUSE YOU DONT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO CORRECT FROM ANY TINY LITTLE MISTAKE IN POSITIONING AND BY THE TIME YOU REALIZE THAT, THE WAVE IS OVER
That was great! I'm doing the same things as you Ant, kicking and not looking at the wave, not using the whole wave and not pointing my board to the beach. Got heaps out of this one 👍🏽
Anthony you were cheated. As I wrote, the wave travels the same speed for everyone. The smaller the wave, the slower it goes. Just like an aircraft, a surfboard requires speed and surface area to support your weight. Calculate your wing loading and Yani's for the boards you used. Don't get conned by lightweight surfing showoffs. It's the runts revenge!
Just had a super frustrating session in small surf and spend about 3hrs finding small wave tips on YT. Definitely a lightbulb moment with the note of pointing back to the beach in small waves. I was like Ant where i was always trying to get across the wave and getting held at the top, not realizing that i needed to be riding fall line and bottom turning out of it to generate speed (cant pump it the same as bigger waves). However i do note that other videos were saying to paddle aggressively and angle the takeoff, which is the opposite of what is said here. Once again the surf world contradicting itself making it really hard for people trying to improve to find accurate information :(
Hold up, first point Clay discusses is wave selection. If we aren't choosing the right waves and putting ourselves in the right spot on the wave, we'll frustrate ourselves by running our of wave every time. Before bottom or top turning. Once on a good wave, don't rush along the wave out of the power zone. Harness the potential of the wave. Very hard to do out in the surf though. It's a big mental game.
I challenge clay to wear a 40kg suit and surf 1ft puss. This is 90% power vs weight argument. Get a 100kg tall surfer for a fair comparison. Should have been riding a board called a kelvinator.
Most important point here , great technique is way more important than equipment. Money spent on some coaching will put a smile on your face. Also consider wave pools. Consistent wave gets you focused on technique. Cheers
Wouldn't it be cool to see a followup video on similarly small waves, showing Anthony using what he learned? Then comparing the before and after of the one surfer. Thanks for the clear lessons here, too. I'm a raw beginner on a foam board, but I get to learn what to be feeling and looking for already. Your videos are changing the way I do land practice on a surfskate too.
would like to see more small wave content. I feel OMBE has helped me figure out a lot the past years on the Great Lakes (shoulder height, peaky, wind swell, shifty waves) but its hard to see this micro terrain in such small waves, read it, and react.
The contrast was so useful to see what was going on. Thanks Ant for putting yourself out there. And of course to Clay for the insights that need to be heard again and again
